Method of forging



Patented Get. 24, 1922.

UNITED STATES EBWIN D. LOWELL, 0F CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO; JUNE D. LOWELL ADMINISTRA- TRIX OF SAID ERWIN D. LOWELL, DECEASED.

METHOD OF FORGING.

No Drawing.

To. all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERWIN D. LOWELL, a citizen of the United States, iesidin at Cleveland Heights, in the county of u ahoga and State of Ohio, have invente a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods of Forging, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In the operation of forging metal, by alternately heating and working it, much inconvenience and frequent detriment to the product results from the continual formation of scale. For instance, in the manufacture of agricultural tools, pieces of scale developing with successive beatings become so embedded in the material during the hammering operations that the resultant product is frequently quite deeply pitted, resulting in much grinding and polishing in the final stage before the tool is ready for marketing. I

Various scale removing substances have been used, but the results, so far as I am aware, have not been satisfactory, where a Smooth finished product is desired.

I have discovered that I can accomplish the desired result by electro-plating the original blank with which has a higher fusing point than that at which the blank is subsequently worked. During the heating and working of the blank, this applied coating remains in place, simply becomes thinner as the metal of the blank is extended, and forms a continuous envelope protecting the blank from the air and thus preventing the formation of scale. The thickness of the electro-plate depends on the amount of subsequent extension of the blank, but it is comparatively thin and preferably only sutficient to provide a. thin film on the surface by the time it reaches the final stage. In this final stage, the film is simply polished off leaving a very smooth surface on the article.

While I do not intend to limit myself to any particular metal for forming the coating, I have found that in forging steel, which requires heating to about 1500 Fahrenheit. an electro-plate of nickel gives very satisfactory results, as its melting point is 2642 F. its ductility is sufficient to enable it to flow readily, and its cohesion holds W it intact notwithstanding the flow. In mak- Application filed March 6, 1920.

some ductile metal Serial No. 363,785.

ing agricultural tools, for instance, I take a bar 0 steel, heat it sufficiently so that it may be readily cut, punched or sheared, then punch .or shear the blank, allow it to cool, then wash it in any of the recognized solutions to clean it and remove as far as possible any scale on the blank, and then electro- )late it with nickel. After that I treat the lank in the usual manner of alternately heating and working until it is brought into the final form, except that in these operations there is not necessity for resorting to any means for removing scale. The thin coating of nickel continues to act as an air tight envelope, protecting the blank against the formation of scale throughout the 0 erations until the article has its final orm. When it reaches this stage the nickel coat' has become extremely thin and is remoi by polishing or butting.

it y experience has demonstrated the efi ciency of the operation, and also proven that the cost of the treatment is very much less than the cost heretofore encountered in grinding out the pits which were caused by the scale; moreover, a much smoother finished product is produced.

I claim:

1. The method of making an article from a blank which is heated and worked, comprising first forming the blank of a shape appropriate for the article and then protecting it from the formation of scale by forming about it and in close contact with substantially its entire surface, an envelope of ductile metal which has a higher fusing point than the temperature which the blank acquires, and working the blank into the final form while the protecting envelope is still on it.

2. The method of forging, comprising making a metal blank of a shape selected with reference to the article to be produced, covering the entire blank with another metal, heating the blank, and working it into its final form.

3. The method of forging. comprising making a metal blank, the typical shape of which is selected with reference to the article to be produced. thereafter electroplating the blank with another metal, heating the blank and working it into its final form.

4. The method of forging, comprising cutting a metal blank to a particular shape,

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electrodepositing a layer of metal over the entire blank, heating the blank and working it into its final form.

5. The method of making tools, comprising heating a bar of steel, punching the bar to provide the required blank, allowing it to cool," washing the blank to remove the scale, electroplating the blank on its sheared edges with another metal, heating the blank and working it into its final form.

6. The method of forging, comprising punching a blank of the required shape from sheet metal, washing the blank to remove the scale, electroplating the entire surface of the blank with another metal, heating the blank, working it into its final form and removing the plated coating.

7. In a method of the character described, the steps of cutting a blank of appropriate shape for the article to be produced, plating such blank to a greater thickness than necessary to form an air tight envelope about it, and subsequently heating the blank and extending it, thereby thinning the coating without destroying its character of forming an air tight envelope.

8. The method of forging articles, comprising electro-plating the entire exterior of a blank appropriate for such article to a greater thickness than necessary to form an air tight envelope about it, and subsequently heating the hammering, thereby thinning the coating without destroying its character of forming an air tight envelope.

9. The method of forging, comprising covering the blank with a coating of ductile blank and extending it by.

metal which has a higher fusing point than. the temperature which the blank has in its subsequent operations, heating and working the blank so covered, the coating being of sufiicient thickness to form a covering until the article has its final shape, and then'removing the remaining film of applied metal.

10. The method of forging, comprising forming a blank, washing such blank, then electro-plating it with a coating of ductile metal, then heating and working the coated blank, until the article has the final shape, the metal covering being originally of sufficient thickness so that notwithstanding its extension it continues as a complete envelope up to the final stage of working, and finally removing the remaining thin film of protecting metal.

11'. The method of forging steel implements, comprising cutting, punching or shearing a blank from a steel bar, washing such blank, then eleotro-plating it with a of ductile metal, which has a higher than the heat the blank is to receive, then heating the coated blank, working it, re-heating and re-working it until the article has the final shape, the metal covering being originallv of sufficient thickness so that notwithstanding its extension it continues as a complete envelope up to the final stage of working, and finally removing the remaining thin film of protecting metal by a polishing operation.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

coating fusing point ERWIN D. LOWELL. 

